Re: Drugs!

In my experience, coming from endometriosis struggles and chronic pain when eating, I rarely struggle with my weight simply because it hurts to get completely full. What I did notice when I switched to the implant was that this pain was lessened (due to not getting my period anymore - which is by no means a guarantee of the implant, but does occur in some people) and therefore I could eat more comfortably, which did mean that I needed more self control in order to maintain my weight.
But over the last year, I haven't noticed fat gain that wasn't attributable to increased caloric consumption (we all have our winter ice cream comfort vices).

I did, however, experience significant water retention for the first month (which after a month went away completely) increased oil production and subsequent mild breakouts which have since calmed down to almost previous norms (keep in mind, though, that BC pills often relieve acne symptoms, so the effect may be more the lack of the pill than the use of the implant).
My emotional state brightened somewhat in a sort of non-specific optimism, the precise cause of which it's obviously hard to really pin down, but given the reality that hormones affect our moods I assume at the very least the implant didn't affect my moods negatively.

To be honest, I also experienced improvement in the sexual arena, which for ...reasons... I won't go into detail on, haha.
...'The sexual arena'
well, if no one makes a joke out of that I'm just going to be disappointed.

In short, if you're already cautious and diligent about your weight I don't think you'll experience any significant changes that are mysterious and not related to increased consumption.
(Be aware that if you eat school lunch here, and you don't normally consume 800+ calories at lunch, you will need to adjust your dinner and snack portions (or amount of exercise) to compensate for the extra calories.)
Hope that helps!

Re: Drugs!

nosy question you by no means have to answer. But the eating pain. Do you have a GI issue like Celiacs or Crohns or something? Or is it remnant pain from a past injury? Just curious. I couldnt gain weight until my early/mid 20s due to pain when eating. Got on some delightful immuno suppressants, and now i can get fat!

Re: Drugs!

Thanks for all of the info eminate, I just looked at my coverage and it looks like nexplanon is an option for me too... if I get an implant, I'd actually feel kinda better about it in my arm that having strings hanging down from my uterus lol. That just freaks me out so much

I'm just so paranoid about implants, since your period often goes away on them... what if you're that 1% that gets knocked up on it and you don't even know because you don't get your period/it can be pretty spotty with an implant. Idk obviously you should use backup protection for other reasons, like I said, I'm totally just being paranoid lol. Especially since morning after pill is apparently sorta hard to obtain there.

I primarily use BC for regulation, but my period sucks so bad I'm taking a seasonale thing right now anyway to make it go away. I guess I just like the option of giving myself a period if I get paranoid or something.

Ps, ananas, it says on the nex website that weight gain is a common side effect but... that's what it literally says for every bc I've ever taken, so I guess you can never really know until you try... :/

Re: Drugs!

Originally Posted by gibbity

nosy question you by no means have to answer. But the eating pain. Do you have a GI issue like Celiacs or Crohns or something? Or is it remnant pain from a past injury? Just curious. I couldnt gain weight until my early/mid 20s due to pain when eating. Got on some delightful immuno suppressants, and now i can get fat!

No problem at all ^^
It's mostly due to the endometriosis, because it has caused adhesions and inflammation on most surfaces in my abdominal cavity, including my small intestines and bowel (it's a pretty terrible disorder). Being an autoimmune disease, however, symptoms can be similar to other autoimmune diseases like Lupus, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and the like, which can also cause pain when eating. It's very hard to get a definitive diagnosis for endometriosis without laparoscopic visual inspection, though, so even if your symptoms match up you might never know the exact cause for certain.
I've never been diagnosed with IBS or Crohns but autoimmune disorders do tend to appear together sometimes, so I wouldn't necessarily be surprised if someday they show up.

Higher fat percentage is suspected of worsening the symptoms of Endometriosis, though, so in the interests of preventing unnecessary suffering I do watch my weight quite carefully. But, in the end, it's all about ignoring the pain you can't fix and enjoying the moment of living in Japan, the land of sushi and sakura.

p.s. oh forgot the mention, the implant itself is very discreet and most of the time I completely forget it's there. The implantation procedure is fast and in-office, your arm will be swollen and bruised for a few days, and then it'll probably feel like nothing is there unless you actually palpate the spot.

Re: Drugs!

Originally Posted by singinglupines

With contacts, are they really strict about not bringing too much in? How will they know if you wear dailies/biweeklies/monthlies and need different amounts.

All I know is with contacts, you can bring a year supply with yakkan shoumei. I just bought a year's worth of biweeklies to bring with me, so I'm just waiting on the paperwork. I would assume the limit pertains to the type of contact lense it is? Anyone know for sure?

Re: Drugs!

Originally Posted by weepinbell

All I know is with contacts, you can bring a year supply with yakkan shoumei. I just bought a year's worth of biweeklies to bring with me, so I'm just waiting on the paperwork. I would assume the limit pertains to the type of contact lense it is? Anyone know for sure?

Hm, okay. I meant without yakkan shoumei. I just find it weird that it's so regulated.

Last edited by singinglupines; April 9th, 2015 at 00:52.
Reason: spelling

When I read your post I suddenly feel like I am so far away from being crazy.

Originally Posted by Ini

Originally Posted by Ananasboat

It's festivals days like these on which I really try really hard to make up for not partying in college.

yeah, because who needs free flowing drugs and alcohol fueling adventorous sex with taut, lithe young bodies when you could wander around a dying town in the freezing cold with a can of asahi super dry in your hand while some toothless old farmer shouts at you.

Re: Drugs!

Originally Posted by singinglupines

Hm, okay. I meant without yakkan shoumei. I just find it weird that it's so regulated.

Yep, exactly why I made this thread lol. In the 2015 handbook, it says 1mo for contacts without yakkan shoumei. It looks like that's standard for most prescriptions... that's why I'm trying to just get year supplies right now, so that I don't have to pay to ship stuff monthly or fill our yakken shoumei every time my 3 month refills would come in...

Re: Drugs!

Out of curiosity, does your handbook/consulate say anything about where to actually find Yakkan Shoumei forms? My handbook alludes to turning them into the Atlanta consulate and even refers to a sample form, but doesn't include the form or even a link on where to find it. I only found it directly on the Ministry of Health, Labour, Welfare website, but their form wants me to mail it somewhere in Japan.

Re: Drugs!

Double check w/the JET coordinator. Last time I had to fill out a Yakkan Shoumei, I had to send it directly to Japan, not through a consulate. Maybe the ATL consulate just wants to save us the hassle and will do it for us instead...*shrugs*

Re: Drugs!

Originally Posted by weepinbell

Yep, exactly why I made this thread lol. In the 2015 handbook, it says 1mo for contacts without yakkan shoumei. It looks like that's standard for most prescriptions... that's why I'm trying to just get year supplies right now, so that I don't have to pay to ship stuff monthly or fill our yakken shoumei every time my 3 month refills would come in...

I have a two year's supply already purchased. There was a sale/extra hsa money and my eyesight doesn't change. So I guess I will have to figure out this form.

When I brought a big supply to Australia, they saw it in my x-rayed checked luggage and thought the contacts were pills! I had to dig them out. No restrictions there though as long as it wasn't meds ha.

Drugs!

Originally Posted by naginataonthebrain

Double check w/the JET coordinator. Last time I had to fill out a Yakkan Shoumei, I had to send it directly to Japan, not through a consulate. Maybe the ATL consulate just wants to save us the hassle and will do it for us instead...*shrugs*

Definitely check in with your coordinator if you are thinking about doing this. Because of the time it normally takes to process the yakkan shoumei there is an expedited process for JETs, and you mail it to a different address than normal. Then once the paperwork is processed they send it back to your coordinator (rather than to you). This way they know to be on the lookout for it. Mine gave me the paperwork at the Pre-Departure orientation the day before we left.

Re: contacts - technically you're supposed to fill out a yakkan shoumei if you're bringing more than a month's supply. However. I filled my yakkan shoumei out for the medicine but didn't even mention the contacts. When you arrive at Narita you are arriving with a couple thousand other JETs. They simply don't have the time to go through everything with a fine toothed comb. When I got off, the customs people were like "oh, is this you? (They had my name on a list). Do you have your paperwork? (I showed them my processed yakkan shoumei paperwork). This is what you have in your bag? Ok, go ahead"

Having read other peoples' experiences I knew there was a good chance this could happen, but I didn't want to take a gamble and not fill out the paperwork and then possibly be caught and not be able to bring my medicine into the country.

/edit/ the entire process and all relevant information is outlined in the JET General Information Handbook, pg 25 under the heading "1.4.7. Medication, Medical Products, Cosmetics, and Medical Equipment"

Re: Drugs!

I wouldn't have anything else that would need a yakkan shoumei.

I was wondering what customs is like and whether they check everything. Aussie was the only place where everyone's luggage had to go through x-ray machines. Hardcore, but I figured it was an island country so more worries?

Re: Drugs!

Originally Posted by hypatia

Definitely check in with your coordinator if you are thinking about doing this. Because of the time it normally takes to process the yakkan shoumei there is an expedited process for JETs, and you mail it to a different address than normal. Then once the paperwork is processed they send it back to your coordinator (rather than to you). This way they know to be on the lookout for it. Mine gave me the paperwork at the Pre-Departure orientation the day before we left.

Will do then, thanks! Just thought I'd double check as the way it's all phrased sounds like it's supposed to be there... it just isn't. I definitely want to get a start on that now. Whether or not my insurance will actually let me get a year's worth--we'll just have to see!